Toshiba to Release 13-Mpixel BSI CMOS Sensor With Small Pixels

Toshiba Corp released a 13-Mpixel backside illuminated (BSI) CMOS image sensor whose pixel size is as small as 1.12μm.

The company started volume production of the sensor, "T4K37," July 5, 2013, for use in the cameras of smartphones and tablet computers.

While the 1.12μm pixel size is one of the industry's smallest, an S/N ratio equivalent to that of the company's previous product having a pixel size of 1.4μm was realized by integrating the company's own color noise reduction circuit, the company said.

Equipped with a high dynamic range (HDR) function, the T4K37 is capable of taking high-quality images even in a place where there is a high contrast, Toshiba said. Furthermore, the camera offers a frame rate of 30fps even in the full pixel mode, enabling to reduce shutter time lag as well as to continuously take pictures.

The pixel count of the T4K37 is 4,208 (horizontal direction) x 3,120 (vertical direction). Its aspect ratio is 4:3. The power-supply voltages of the analog, digital and I/O areas are 2.6-3.0V, 1.1-1.3V and 1.7-3.0V, respectively. The operating temperature range is -20 to +65°C, and the storage temperature range is -40 to +85°C.